Murder in the Big Apple on ID: Where was Jennifer Levin last seen?

Jennifer Levin, an 18-year-old was found strangled to death in the morning hours of August 26, 1986, in Central Park in New York. A bicyclist found her half-naked body which had bruises suggesting she had been assaulted before she was killed. Jennifer was last seen leaving Manhattan's popular bar Dorrian's Red Hand with her s*xual partner Robert Chambers.

The suspicion of her death naturally fell on Robert Chambers, the man she was last seen alive with the previous night. However, he claimed that he was the one who was assaulted by Jennifer that night. He even alleged that she tied him up in an attempt to engage in rough s*x with him. Chambers, who was 19 at the time, claimed that he pushed Levin off, killing her in the process.

The controversial case garnered significant media attention in the years that followed. Dubbed the "Preppy Murder," the case managed to tarnish Levin's name as Chambers got away with pleading guilty and got a reduced charge of manslaughter. He has since been released from prison.

Murder in the Big Apple on ID chronicles the case of Jennifer Levin's murder by Robert Chambers who was dubbed the "Preppy Killer" by the media in an episode titled Heartless Heartthrob. The episode aired on the channel on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

"In 1986, a woman on an early morning bike ride in New York's Central Park discovers the strangled body of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin; detectives zone in on former private school student Robert Chambers, but his response to them shocks the whole city," the episode synopsis reads.

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Jennifer Levin's death occurred during "rough s*x," according to Robert Chambers' defense counsel

In the early morning hours of August 26, 1986, around 6 am, a cyclist found Jennifer Levin's body, lying twisted next to a tree in Central Park. The area was near Fifth Avenue and right behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 18-year-old was found partially dressed, her top and bra pulled up, and her underwear was a few yards away from her body.

Authorities noticed red marks around her neck, which suggested she had been strangled. They also found other bruises and marks over her face and body, including a swollen eye. These bruises were determined to be clear signs of assault. A medical examiner later confirmed that she was strangled to death and estimated the time of death at 5:30 that morning.

As the investigation progressed, several witnesses came forward alleging that they had seen Levin leaving Dorrian's Red Hand, a hotspot in Manhattan. They said that she was seen leaving with Robert Chambers, who police later found out was Jennifer's s*xual partner. Chambers was found with fresh scratches on his face. When authorities confronted him with information gathered from patrons who saw them at the bar, the 19-year-old admitted to being with Jennifer after initially denying being there.

Once they left the establishment, Chambers claimed that Levin persuaded him to go to Central Park to have s*x. He claimed that she died in the park while the two engaged in a rough and aggressive encounter. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

During the high-profile, controversial trial which began in January 1988, the accused's defense alleged that Jennifer Levin's death occurred during "rough s*x." They portrayed the victim as promiscuous, diving into an alleged s*x diary and her s*xual history.

Eventually, the jury failed to reach a verdict and the prosecution offered Robert Chambers a plea bargain. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Chambers, who was dubbed the Preppy Killer, was released in 2003 after serving his 15-year prison sentence.

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Jennifer Levin's murder case was recently covered on ID's Murder in the Big Apple.